This invention relates generally to floor deck structures and, more particularly, to a floor assembled from a plurality of similar interlocking floor sections having ventilation openings formed therein.
While it is intended that the floor deck structure described herein by employed in grain bins and the like, the floor deck structure is not limited to utilization in such an environment. A floor of the general type shown herein is assembled from a series of elongate sections which are locked edge to edge to form a complete floor. Each section is usually formed entirely from a single sheet or plate of metal.
The floor structures in the prior art have a variety of means for joining interconnecting floor sections together in edge-to-edge relationship. In one construction, the adjacent floor sections each have male and female J-shaped flanges, one of the flanges depending from each longitudinal edge of a flat floor plate. The male flange being slightly smaller fits within the female flange of an adjacent section to lock the sections together, the joint thereby having a J-shaped cross section. In another design, a floor section has a rectilinear male flange of unitary thickness depending from one longitudinal edge and a relatively narrow U-shaped or folded female flange depending from the other longitudinal edge which defines a narrow channel. The channel receives the male flange of an adjacent floor section so that there is a triple layer of vertically oriented material at each joint. Yet another construction employs floor sections with oppositely oriented Z-shaped flanges, the female flange having an upright free end. The male flange is received by the female flange to form a joint between adjacent sections having a triangular cross section. Unless provided with an undue number of supports, the aforementioned floor structures generally lack sufficient strength to support extremely large loads without deforming and causing separation of the joints between the floor sections.
In order to provide additional structural stiffness and strength to an otherwise bendable flat plate without increasing the amount or weight of the plate, corrugations or embossments are usually formed in the plate. These corrugations or embossments tend to resist nonparallel bending moments so as to prevent the plate from collapsing along a line transverse to the corrugations or embossments. Various types are known. The plate may be sinuously formed so that the plate has a wavy cross section. Alternatively, embossments can be raised from the plate and arranged in parallel rows or columns. The embossments may even be "randomly" distributed in many different directions to resist bending to some extent in substantially all directions.
In one prior art floor, a series of spaced embossments are arranged in a laterally extending row. A plurality of such rows are formed in parallel fashion in the plate with every other row being offset, the embossments thereby laterally spanning the plate to prevent bending along a longitudinal line. However, the plate is still subject to bending under load along a diagonal line between the rows through the spaces between the embossments in each row.
In applications where ventilation is required, such as grain bins where air flow prevents spoilage of stored grain, ventilation is provided through the floor structure by perforating the plate. However, if the perforations are not properly located, the strength of the plate will be lessened. Obviously, it is desirable to form perforations of sufficient number and size, but not to an extent which would substantially reduce the strength of the plate. The perforations may be formed by punching apertures in the plate. In one prior art construction, embossments are raised from the plate in a manner which will cause the surface to separate under tension, thereby generating openings through the plate at the top of each embossment. However, these methods render the floor "rough" so that the floor is not easily swept clean. In addition, if an auger is used to remove grain from a bin having such floors, the auger blade often catches in the perforations thereby damaging the auger or the floor or both. Further, if the perforations in the plate open upwardly, grain has a tendency to come to rest vertically over these openings to prevent proper air flow.